Ten years ago, this month — July of 2013 — history made history when over 200 artists descended on Kewanee for a week to paint 15 murals depicting various aspects of the city’s past.
It was the 20th anniversary of the Walldogs, a group of artists from all over the United States and several foreign countries, who each year select a community for their annual meet.
That year, it was Kewanee. The idea sprang locally from a collaborative marketing meeting held to come up with ideas that would promote Kewanee.
Dianne Packee, of Reiman’s Harley-Davidson, grew up in Pontiac where the Walldogs held their meet in 2009, and saw how the “once-in-a-lifetime” experience had changed that community.
A massive fundraising effort with broad community support made the idea a reality and gave Kewanee a rare outdoor art gallery exhibiting historic events and individuals from the city’s past.
That event will be remembered this year as the Kewanee Prairie Chicken Arts Festival marks the 10th anniversary of the Walldogs murals July 21-22, with a full schedule of events including “Murals Come to Life.” The murals will be presented Saturday, July 22, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Rotary Tent in front of Cerno’s, by junior and senior high school students from the Kewanee Summer Theatre Camp made possible by a 21st Century Community Learning Grant obtained through the Bureau, Henry and Stark County Regional Office of Education. The subjects of each of the original 15 murals will be re-enacted by the students.
The first Prairie Chicken Festival was held in 2014, the year after the Walldogs visit and included a car show. Funds were raised for a 16th mural, which memorialized Kewanee native and movie legend Neville Brand. Plans didn’t materialize for a festival in 2015, but in 2016, chalk art competition was added to the schedule and world-famous chalk artist Shaun Hays came to Kewanee that year and again in 2017 to demonstrate his talents which included 3-D drawings.
The amateur art show and competition were also added in 2016. In 2018, it was decided to do another mural and funds were raised to create a mural honoring Kewanee native Walter T. Bailey, the first licensed African American architect in Illinois.
Another mural was created in 2019 honoring the Black Knights Drum & Bugle Corps, the Kewanee Ballhawks women’s softball team was honored in 2020 and a 20th mural recognizing the Walworth was rendered in 2021.
The name was changed to Prairie Chicken Arts Festival in 2019 to reflect the various artistic aspects of the festival, including student artwork in the windows of downtown stores which has increased from 408 the first year (2017) to 1,021 this year.
Other popular attractions returning this year will include the “Guns & Hoses” Breakfast served by the Kewanee Police and Fire departments Saturday, July 22, from 7 to 10 a.m. at the parking lot of Johnson Heating & Air Conditioning.
Other fest favorites for the younger crowd will include the giant sand pile, the duck pond, antique fire truck and pony rides, a magician, and much more.
There will also be an antique tractor show and the Kewanee Historical Society Museum will be open both days from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. The Rotary Tent, the festival’s event center, will be moved from the chalk art and flea market area west of The Station, to the street in front of Cerno’s, to make it more centralized to Berrien Park (old city hall location) where food vendors and other activities are held.
There will also be a teen dance for junior and senior high students Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Rotary Tent featuring Jim Little, the DJ from this year’s Kewanee High School prom.
Participants in youth, amateur and professional divisions of the chalk art competition will begin drawing Friday evening with 96 spaces available on the go-kart track of the former Grand Central Fun Center. Winners will be announced at 5 p.m. Saturday, along with the winning school for the student artwork competition and Amateur Art Show.
The Central Junior High Band, Kewanee Community Band and “Jazz on the Side” will present concerts from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the Rotary Tent. The festival will wrap up with music by “Trip Hazard,” in cooperation with Cerno’s in the Rotary Tent from 7 to 11p.m. Saturday night.
With many other details and activities too numerous to mention here, everything you need to know can be found on the Prairie Chicken Arts Festival Facebook page which also contains up-to-date information, as well as a daily PCAF trivia contest.
